Santino Marella

Injury. Those six letters can be devastating to the career of any professional wrestling superstar, especially during the build-up to the biggest show of the year. In recent months, several of WWE's top stars have been sidelined with injuries of varying degrees. Christian, Rey Mysterio, Alberto del Rio, Sin Cara and Layla have all missed weeks -- if not months -- of action. Others like Mark Henry, Big Show and Ted DiBiase, who has been wrestling in a cast and brace, have been working despite injuries.

Since this only happens once in a while, it's not necessarily the most annoying thing in the world, but it definitely is an emerging trend. It's not new, either -- through signs and chants, fans have always wanted to be a part of the show. Especially with WWE -- where receiving 15 seconds of fame through being a member of the audience seems more likely than any other form of entertainment -- colorful fans have always stood out. What I have been noticing is an emerging pattern of chants among crowds who have been traditionally classified as "informed" WWE fans.

Fans had many expectations heading into Sunday night's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, fueled largely by Internet speculation. Rumors had been running rampant of returning superstars, changes to the world title matches and the addition of undercard bouts to round out a four-match card. In the end, some of the expectations proved true while others ultimately failed to materialize. Two injured superstars returned from injury -- albeit in an in-ring segment rather than matches -- while Santino Marella proved doubters wrong and Jack Swagger defended his United States Championship for the first time on pay-per-view.

A recent development in WWE's storytelling seems more like lyrics from a early 1990s hip hop song than anything we've seen in recent years: tag teams, back again. WWE fans have been clamoring for the revitalization of a tag team division for months, if not years, and their wish finally seems to be coming true. While Kofi Kingston and R-Truth did a good job alongside Primo and Epico and the Prime Time Players to rebuild a solid foundation, it has been since Kane and Daniel Bryan won the titles that the focus has become clear.

Monday night's Raw was Big Show's stage to showcase and establish his new persona, and in many ways, it worked. While there have been many flaws in the early stages of Show's turn, the man behind the character has embraced the change and done his best to make it work. He had ample time in front of the camera Monday night, and his match with Brodus Clay quickly became a dream match few had even thought of. Show opened Raw with a promo about his motivation. He pointed out some of the bad decisions made by WWE in the wake of his firing, such as his emotional breakdown a few weeks ago being immediately followed by Clay's dancing and John Cena's reaction to John Laurinaitis later in that evening.

Since WrestleMania, the biggest buzz in the WWE Universe has focused around Brock Lesnar's return to professional wrestling. This Sunday, Lesnar will compete in his first match back from a nearly eight-year absence when he faces John Cena in an Extreme Rules match at the pay-per-view of the same name. As of this writing, only a handful of matches have been announced for the show, leaving room for last-minute additions. Ring Posts contributors Arda Ocal and Adam Testa weighed in with their predictions for the card thus far. Pre-Show Match United States Championship Santino Marella (c)

With a special three-hour Raw, WWE had an opportunity to present a special go-home show to Sunday's Extreme Rules. That extra hour could mean lengthier matches, or more contests. Instead, the show featured the typical amount of wrestling featured in a routine two-hour episode and an overabundance of promos, segments and video packages, many of which were unnecessary. Perhaps the writers thought this should would actually build toward Extreme Rules, which at this point only has five announced matches, or maybe episodes like this show the lack of depth in the WWE roster.

Since this only happens once in a while, it's not necessarily the most annoying thing in the world, but it definitely is an emerging trend. It's not new, either -- through signs and chants, fans have always wanted to be a part of the show. Especially with WWE -- where receiving 15 seconds of fame through being a member of the audience seems more likely than any other form of entertainment -- colorful fans have always stood out. What I have been noticing is an emerging pattern of chants among crowds who have been traditionally classified as "informed" WWE fans.

A recent development in WWE's storytelling seems more like lyrics from a early 1990s hip hop song than anything we've seen in recent years: tag teams, back again. WWE fans have been clamoring for the revitalization of a tag team division for months, if not years, and their wish finally seems to be coming true. While Kofi Kingston and R-Truth did a good job alongside Primo and Epico and the Prime Time Players to rebuild a solid foundation, it has been since Kane and Daniel Bryan won the titles that the focus has become clear.

SummerSlam has long been one of WWE's top pay-per-views each year, but this year, the stakes are even higher as the event marks its milestone 25th installment. WWE has been slowly building to this event, teasing confrontation between Brock Lesnar and COO Triple H. Other matches have come together well, too, in recent weeks. On Sunday, SummerSlam emanates from its recently perennial home in Los Angeles. Here's a look at the card and predictions from Ring Posts' Arda Ocal and Adam Testa.

Night of Champions is the one night of the year when fans are guaranteed to see every championship in WWE defended. For most fans, that's a positive thing, as some of the midcard titles frequently go months without a pay-per-view defense. But it's also a double-edged sword. While a show like Night of Champions ensures each title will be spotlighted on a larger stage, it also illustrates the persistent issues with the booking of some of the midcard championships. Some of those issues became prevalent on tonight's edition of Smackdown.

One night a year, it's a guarantee that every championship in WWE will be defended. At Night of Champions, seven men and women will put their gold on the line against a barrage of challengers. Some are looking to settle a score; others are simply seeking opportunity. Ring Posts' Arda Ocal and Adam Testa take a match-by-match look at this Sunday's pay-per-view in Boston. Here is what they have to say: Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler Arda: This match is a blessing for many reasons.

SummerSlam has long been one of WWE's top pay-per-views each year, but this year, the stakes are even higher as the event marks its milestone 25th installment. WWE has been slowly building to this event, teasing confrontation between Brock Lesnar and COO Triple H. Other matches have come together well, too, in recent weeks. On Sunday, SummerSlam emanates from its recently perennial home in Los Angeles. Here's a look at the card and predictions from Ring Posts' Arda Ocal and Adam Testa.

Monday night's Raw was Big Show's stage to showcase and establish his new persona, and in many ways, it worked. While there have been many flaws in the early stages of Show's turn, the man behind the character has embraced the change and done his best to make it work. He had ample time in front of the camera Monday night, and his match with Brodus Clay quickly became a dream match few had even thought of. Show opened Raw with a promo about his motivation. He pointed out some of the bad decisions made by WWE in the wake of his firing, such as his emotional breakdown a few weeks ago being immediately followed by Clay's dancing and John Cena's reaction to John Laurinaitis later in that evening.

Since WrestleMania, the biggest buzz in the WWE Universe has focused around Brock Lesnar's return to professional wrestling. This Sunday, Lesnar will compete in his first match back from a nearly eight-year absence when he faces John Cena in an Extreme Rules match at the pay-per-view of the same name. As of this writing, only a handful of matches have been announced for the show, leaving room for last-minute additions. Ring Posts contributors Arda Ocal and Adam Testa weighed in with their predictions for the card thus far. Pre-Show Match United States Championship Santino Marella (c)

With a special three-hour Raw, WWE had an opportunity to present a special go-home show to Sunday's Extreme Rules. That extra hour could mean lengthier matches, or more contests. Instead, the show featured the typical amount of wrestling featured in a routine two-hour episode and an overabundance of promos, segments and video packages, many of which were unnecessary. Perhaps the writers thought this should would actually build toward Extreme Rules, which at this point only has five announced matches, or maybe episodes like this show the lack of depth in the WWE roster.

Night of Champions is the one night of the year when fans are guaranteed to see every championship in WWE defended. For most fans, that's a positive thing, as some of the midcard titles frequently go months without a pay-per-view defense. But it's also a double-edged sword. While a show like Night of Champions ensures each title will be spotlighted on a larger stage, it also illustrates the persistent issues with the booking of some of the midcard championships. Some of those issues became prevalent on tonight's edition of Smackdown.

A significant portion of the WrestleMania hype has been built around a rematch between Triple H and the Undertaker, but in reality, that's not the only rematch fans will be treated to April 1. This year's WrestleMania will see another repeat contest, though it's one viewers at home missed the first time around. At last year's show, Sheamus was scheduled to defend his United States Championship against Daniel Bryan. The match was bumped from the pay-per-view broadcast and turned into a dark match.

A significant portion of the WrestleMania hype has been built around a rematch between Triple H and the Undertaker, but in reality, that's not the only rematch fans will be treated to April 1. This year's WrestleMania will see another repeat contest, though it's one viewers at home missed the first time around. At last year's show, Sheamus was scheduled to defend his United States Championship against Daniel Bryan. The match was bumped from the pay-per-view broadcast and turned into a dark match.

Fans had many expectations heading into Sunday night's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, fueled largely by Internet speculation. Rumors had been running rampant of returning superstars, changes to the world title matches and the addition of undercard bouts to round out a four-match card. In the end, some of the expectations proved true while others ultimately failed to materialize. Two injured superstars returned from injury -- albeit in an in-ring segment rather than matches -- while Santino Marella proved doubters wrong and Jack Swagger defended his United States Championship for the first time on pay-per-view.